WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The roaring of the crowd reverberated down the tunnel, echoing all the way to the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins' locker room.
"I just remember the energy was insane," recalled Colby Armstrong, who was playing that night in Ottawa.
It was the spring of 2007, and Armstrong and teammates that included budding superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were getting their first taste of the hypercharged Stanley Cup playoffs.
"All those young guys, we had no clue," said Armstrong, who played 476 NHL games. "We were probably just like the Leafs.